Ugly Betty 4.20: “Hello Goodbye” (Series Finale)

Note: The following review contains spoilers for all aired episodes of Ugly Betty.

What struck me most about Ugly Betty‘s packed and touching series finale, “Hello Goodbye,” wasn’t the resolution given to any particular character–though I found the majority of the resolutions to be both satisfying and fitting–but the level of emotion displayed in the actors’ performances.  I actually can’t think of another series finale–particularly for a show that is not a sitcom filmed in front of a live studio audience–whose entire cast seemed so emotional about the conclusion.  Throughout the hour, many actors’ voices broke, or sounded wavery, on the verge of breaking into tears.

The thing that made Betty most special to me throughout was that it always wore its heart on its sleeve.  Even at its most cartoonishly soapy, the series would often include moments of (sometimes surprisingly profound) character depth, imbuing it with humanity often lacking in other shows as “silly” as Betty could be.  It is rather wonderful–as well as bittersweet–then, to see just how much the cast cares for one another and for this show that they seem so heartbroken by having to say goodbye to one another.  Of course, everyone’s emotions were in-character, as Betty was leaving New York to move to London, thus impacting everyone’s lives, but at the same time, the reactions were clearly not just the result of good acting.  Emotions like these cannot be faked.  They also added an additional layer of connection between the actors and the audience, for we are all in mourning for this truly unique series.

As much as I loved Ugly Betty (a love which could often be described as “adoration”), it was never a perfect series.  At times, its arcing could be a bit wonky, with plot threads appearing and disappearing at such a rapid rate, it often felt like the writers weren’t planning the series in advance at all but instead throwing potential plot threads on the screen to see what was most interesting to them.  In the middle of the series’ run, Betty also sometimes had an uneasy time at blending its tones, abandoning the zippy soap opera angle for a while to focus on more “real human emotion,” but losing a bit of its voice in the process.  Even during its rougher spots, however, its brightest qualities would always shine through its occasional messiness.  Its brilliantly witty, rapid-fire quips would never dematerialize, nor would its tenderness.

It is rare for a show to be able to have such bite–particularly in the form of Marc and Amanda’s savage one-liners–as well as such underlying sweetness.  The Marc/Betty hug depicted in the above picture was a long time in the making, but it was well-earned by the show’s gradual and expertly handled character development.  They’ve come a long way from the unfashionable Mexican girl with the braces and the poncho, and the bitchy, swooshy, gay assistant.  When Marc and Amanda insult Betty now, it’s more due to a long-standing tradition than actual ire.  They actually love her quite a great deal, not that they would ever admit it.

Fittingly, the final Ugly Betty wasn’t perfect.  Wilhelmina, in particular, had quite a roller coaster ride of abrupt shifts in motivation, most likely the result of the series’ order being chopped by two episodes, leaving less time to wrap all the storylines.  With that said, however, it was all that I could have hoped for in a Betty series finale.  All of the characters had special moments with one another. We were given truly lovely scenes between Betty and Marc, Betty and Amanda, Betty and Marc and Amanda, Betty and Claire, Betty and Daniel, Daniel and Claire, Justin and Marc, Wilhelmina and Claire, Wilhelmina and Betty, Wilhelmina and Marc, Betty and Justin, Betty and Hilda, Betty and Papi, and all relevant permutations of the above.  Of course, Amanda made Betty’s going away party all about her. Of course. It all just felt so right. So Betty.

Most importantly, however, the show managed to honor both people who want Betty and Daniel to end up together, romantically, and those who find the very idea indicative of an utter and complete lack of understanding about their friendship, as it’s been depicted from the beginning (you might be able to glean what camp I fall into).  Because in the end, the final episode should be about Betty emerging triumphantly–not as someone’s girlfriend, but as her own successful woman.  If you want to believe Betty and Daniel start dating soon after the end of the series, so be it.  If you want to believe they are just the best of friends, even better.  But the series’ final image was Betty standing on her own, and that is how it should be.

The removal of the “Ugly” from the show’s title was the perfect close to Betty’s character journey over the course of the series.  What many non-viewers of the show never realized is that that part of the title has always been intended to be taken ironically, because Betty has always been anything but ugly.  This moniker has always been the voice of the bullies Betty grew up with (and worked with, for a long time), echoing in her head, telling her she wasn’t good enough, not a reflection of the series’ feelings for its protagonist.  The long-term arc of the show has been Betty’s dawning realization that she is a beautiful person, and not just on the inside.  It has been a deliberate and also rather subtle joke on the part of the series that, though Betty’s fashion sense was often mocked, a lot of the “high fashion” on display would be just as hideous as Betty’s get-up.  The show, therefore, has always been about Betty discovering and gaining confidence in herself, not learning to conform.  By the end, she has managed to retain her personal style but blend it with the knowledge of fashion she has absorbed at Mode in order to create a look both stylish and all her own.

Over the past four seasons, Ugly Betty has left a lasting legacy.  It was a groundbreaking series, one that provided visibility and depth to characters from minorities often ignored on network television–most prominently, Hispanics and gays.  Even more significantly, it has done so in such an effortless, straightforward manner that it was often easy to forget how bold and unusual it was.  It truly was a show for the underdog.  A comedy-drama based on a Mexican telenovela about an unconventionally attractive woman learning the ropes in the fashion industry, and one which often mocked the very vapidity in which most entertainment magazines that reported upon it, revel?  It’s amazing it ever appeared on the air at all.  And for that reason alone, while I am deeply saddened by Ugly Betty‘s passing, I think it’s important for us all to take a moment to celebrate the fact that we had it in our lives for the past four years.  It would be easy for a show in its last days to play it safe, but even up to the very end, it remained vital and strong, with such daring plots as Justin’s coming-out arc.  Shows like this don’t come along every day.

So, farewell, Suarez and Mode Families! You will be deeply missed.

All Ugly Betty Reviews

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1. The Ups and Downs of Ugly Betty
2. Ugly Betty: “The Butterfly Effect”
3. Ugly Betty: "Things Fall Apart"
4. The 10 Best TV Shows of 2006
5. Caprica 1.09: “End of the Line” (Mid-Season Finale)

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